The use of plants for medicinal purposes was a common practice in Mexico before the arrival of the Spanish in the sixteenth century; although this knowledge was underestimated for a long time. Now interest has reemerged in the use of plants as alternative remedies or traditional medicine. Today, we will explore the old traditional remedies to help our journey through the gift of menopause and the symptoms it comes along with.

1. Damiana: 

This plant has been used in traditional Mexican medicine, such as infusions, teas, antiseptic solutions, for the treatment of various disorders. Damiana extracts have medicinal effects against common symptoms of menopause such as difficulty sleeping, headaches and vaginal dryness. If you find yourself having difficulty sleeping we suggest infusing hot tea before bed which aids in relaxed and restful sleep.

Headaches are an everyday occurrence when we are adventuring over to maturity in our journey of womanhood. Damiana has been known to ease you in a relaxed state, encouraging peaceful energy around you. For fast acting results you can take a page out of our ancestor’s ways and choose to smoke this fascinating herb. Or for those of you that appreciate tinctures this affection tincture delivers adaptogenic and aphrodisiac plant powers by encouraging restful sleep as well as inspiring intimacy pleasure for a sacred love ceremony.

Indigenous women in Mexico have always used consecrated Damiana into an oil to invite sexual potency, but did you know this oil can be used on the outside of the yoni to boost libido, replenish ketones and dryness, and support vaginal health. Flor de Amor has formulated the only damiana plant based intimate moisturizer and massage oil designed for ultimate nourishing and rejuvenating intimate tissues and respecting a woman sexual needs for pleasure, arousal and skincare. Visit: www.flordeamor.com

“Please consult with your doctor and expert on the guidance of using this plant. Damiana is not intended for use with pregnant women“

2. Larrea tridentata (Creosote bush)

 Creosote bush is remarkable for several reasons. The individual plants live an extremely long time – often 100-200 years. Creosote bush grows on well drained slopes, valley floors, plains and sand dunes in Northern Mexico. Traditionally it is used as a cure for stomach pains, fever, colds, arthritis, and pain killer. I suggest if you have joint stiffness aches, and pains which is a frequent symptom with menopause use this daily. The leaves tincture can be made into a lotion or salve to place and soothe on joint pain.

If you feel a hot flash come to light Creosote is the go to herb for relieve, place a sprig of Creosote leaves and flowers in a cup. Add boiling water, cover and steep 5 to 10 minutes (depending on strength desired), then strain. You may want to sweeten this strong, aromatic tea with honey.

3. Jatropha dioica Sessé (Dragon’s blood)

 Some women when transitioning over to maturity experience skin break outs or hair loss. Dragon’s blood has been used in Mexican traditional medicine to treat different diseases or to prevent hair loss. Jatropha dioica has been around for a while, this plant forms colonies from subterranean rhizomes. You can identify the plant by looking at the arching, succulent stems reach a height of 20–60 cm and have few branches. They are tough and sufficiently flexible to be tied into overhand knots without breaking.

Once foraged, the stems of the plant are cooked in hot water, and the liquid is applied to the hair after washing. The liquid recovered from the cooking of dragon’s blood stems is made into a lotion and used for the treatment of strokes, small wounds, acne, and also for other skin conditions. We suggest you add essential oils such as lavender or peppermint to your mix.  Get your local Baja oils here. (https://www.facebook.com/thebajamandala/) 

4. Teonanacatl mushrooms

 This mushroom holds mind altering and opening powers, we suggest to conduct more research if you plan on incorporating into your journey through menopause. Much of our understanding of religion comes from eyewitness written accounts of Spanish priests of the ritual and medicinal use of psychoactive mushrooms by Native Americans during the early exploratory period in Meso-America. The majority of these “mushroom cults” used liberty caps. Some accounts note that the mushrooms were mixed with mescal, a naturally fermented beverage obtained from agaves and drunk like wine. 

Depression has come hand and hand with many women who are going through menopause. Estrogen interacts with chemicals in the brain that can affect mood. In some women, the decrease in estrogen during menopause may lead to depression. Hot flashes and insomnia during this transition may also cause emotional distress. Modern neuroscience has revealed how psilocybin interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain in order to produce a range of consciousness-altering effects. New research demonstrates how effective magic mushrooms can be at treating depression. In some cases, one dose can be enough to alleviate the symptoms permanently.

“Please consult with your doctor and expert on the guidance of using this plant.“

5. Opuntia or Prickly Pear

 Prickly Pear is an essential element of Mesoamerican botanical history. For centuries the Aztecs and many other Mexican indigenous groups have used ripe fruits and the nopales both as a food and a medicine. It’s high in fiber, antioxidants and carotenoids. Indeed, prickly pear cactus is popular in many areas of the world, particularly Mexico, where it is a native plant.

When your body is going through menopause it tends to reduced estrogen and may also lower metabolic rate, the rate at which the body converts stored energy into working energy. It’s possible the same thing happens with women when estrogen levels drop after menopause. 

If you are one of many women with lower metabolic rate you can use this plant to your advantage.  You can prepare it many ways, but my favorite is consumption. The edible parts are the leaves, flowers, stems and fruit. Prickly pear cactus is eaten whole (boiled or grilled). It is also made into juice and jams. Here is my Abuela’s favorite jam recipe. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/254409/prickly-pear-jelly/

6. Chili Peppers

When the world hears about Chili Peppers they automatically think MEXICO! In Mexico, chili is used in all authentic Mexican dishes, not only is it used for taste it is also used for lots of different health benefits including lowering your blood pressure. For those that have high blood pressure when going through menopause chili peppers might be just what the doctor ordered, according to a new study. While the active ingredient that gives the peppers their heat, a compound known as capsaicin, might set your mouth on fire, it also leads blood vessels to relax. 

Studies have also proven eating chili releases endorphins which is chemicals in charge of provoking pleasure! So when you are feeling down, use this recipe and make yourself an authentic Mexican dish with extra chilies. https://damndelicious.net/2019/04/18/mexican-street-tacos/

7. Haematoxylum brasiletto, or Mexican logwood

Mexican Log is a species of tropical hardwood tree in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is known in its native Mexico and Guatemala as “palo de brasil” or “palo de tinto”. The timber is used to make bows for stringed instruments, the manufacture of dyes and in ethnobotany and medicinal use.

An extract of boiled heartwood chips is reported to have antibiotic properties, to reduce fever, and to act as a tonic to strengthen the body. We are all aware of times when we feel weak throughout the day and that heightens when going through menopause.